YES! With iHot, now you can. Plus you can get a federal government solar rebate to do so!
If you already have a standard electric storage hot water tank sitting outside or in your garage, you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars replacing it with a complex heat pump or a roof-mounted solar thermal setup to go solar.
By retrofitting an iHot smart inverter and 4-9 dedicated solar panels, you can transform your perfectly good electric tank into a low-cost, sun-powered thermal battery.
The Problem with Throwing Away a Working Tank
Many homeowners are told that "going solar" for hot water requires ripping out their existing cylinder and installing entirely new systems. This creates three big problems:
High Upfront Hardware Costs: New heat pumps or solar thermal systems can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $6,000+ installed.
Unnecessary Waste: Replacing a fully functional, insulated electric tank is wasteful and unnecessary.
Complex Plumbing Work: Replacing tanks often requires extensive plumbing alterations, mounting frames, or roof penetrations.
How the iHot Retrofit Works
A standard electric hot water cylinder is fundamentally just a well-insulated steel vessel with a resistive heating element inside. It is already built to store thermal energy for 24+ hours—it just needs a smarter way to get power.
Keep Your Current Tank: Your existing electric cylinder stays right where it is.
Install the iHot Controller: A licensed installer wires the solid-state iHot unit between your power source (or dedicated solar PV array) and the tank's existing heating element.
Automated Power Diversion: The iHot unit continuously monitors your energy. If you need backup it can switch to grid, generator or battery for a top up when needed..
Seamless Grid Backup: If you experience multiple overcast days, the system automatically uses grid power during off-peak hours to ensure you never run out of hot water.
The Bottom Line
Don't scrap a perfectly good electric water heater just to get the benefits of solar energy. Retrofitting an iHot solar controller gives you the low operating costs of solar hot water at a fraction of the installation hassle and expense. Contact your local solar installer today and ask about getting an iHot.
